Wednesday 18 April 2012, Amsterdam
The Ovarian Cancer Therapeutics Market is Poised to Witness Three-Fold Growth until 2020
The ovarian cancer therapeutics market grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of only 1.0% between 2002 and 2011. The patent expiries of major branded products, such as Taxol (paclitaxel), Paraplatin (carboplatin), Gemzar (gemcitabine), Hycamtin (topotecan hydrochloride) and the subsequent launch of generics, have acted as restraining factors to the market. The introduction of new and promising therapies such as Avastin (bevacizumab), AMG 386, EC145, Farletuzumab (MORAb-003), Karenitecin (BNP1350), OPAXIO (paclitaxel poliglumex), OPT-821, Paclical (paclitaxel), Vargatef (BIBF 1120) and Votrient (pazopanib) are expected to drive the market from 2011–2020.
In 2011, the ovarian cancer therapeutics markets in key countries (the US, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Brazil, Russia, India and China) were worth $736.7m collectively. The ovarian cancer therapeutics market is expected to witness three-fold growth by 2020, reaching $2,352m at a CAGR of 13.8%. This high growth rate is expected due to the strength of the pipeline candidates, which are anticipated to change the treatment paradigm of ovarian cancer when launched.
Ovarian Cancer, Global, Pipeline by Mechanism of Action, 2011: See figure.
Current Competition in the Global Ovarian Cancer Therapeutics Market is Weak
A new assessment of the current competition in the ovarian cancer therapeutics market has shown it to be weak - the available treatment options have been only moderately successful in meeting market demand, due to their low efficacy and safety profiles. For over two decades the combination regimen of carboplatin and paclitaxel has been considered the gold-standard first-line treatment for loco-regional and advanced/metastatic ovarian cancer patients. Since ovarian cancer usually occurs in patients over the age of 55, patients are likely to develop complications and side effects from chemotherapy, leading to low patient compliance and adherence. Chemotherapy is used with or without other options such as surgery, radiation therapy and immunotherapy. However, uptake for surgery remains low, as patients generally do not opt for surgical removal of the ovary and prefer alternative options such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or a combination of the two for complete recovery. There are a few branded drugs as a second line of treatment and generic drugs as a first line of treatment. No drug can be conclusively stated as the market leader, as only a few have as yet been approved for this indication by the regulatory authorities. Generics also play an important role because of the widely used combination therapies commonly prescribed for patients, both in the pre-operative and post-operative stages. Safety, cost-effectiveness, and enhanced patient compliance, however, seem to be the major decisive factors in the ovarian cancer therapeutics market. The implicative findings strongly suggest that the existing market conditions are weak, and that a promising drug with superior safety and efficacy profiles can influence future market dynamics.
The Ovarian Cancer Pipeline is Strong with Several Novel First-in-Class Molecules in Late-Stage Clinical Development
The ovarian cancer pipeline is strong, with 134 molecules in different stages of clinical development. The majority of these are first-in-class molecules, which have distinct advantages over the currently marketed products, and are expected to bring a change in the disease course and clinical outcomes. These molecules are expected to compete strongly with the currently approved products, offering equal or better efficacy and safety profiles, leading to increased patient and physician satisfaction. A significant number of pipeline candidates are being developed as combination therapies.
A number of pipeline molecules have entered Phase III trials for ovarian cancer. There are 12 molecules in late stage development (pre-registration and Phase III). Some of these Phase III molecules will have an impact in the ovarian cancer market when launched. The growth in the market will be attributed to the continuous shift from the use of chemotherapy regimens to regimens containing high-price targeted and biological agents. Promising Phase III molecules that will impact the ovarian cancer market include Avastin (bevacizumab) from Roche, AMG 386 from Amgen, EC145 from Endocyte, Farletuzumab (MORAb-003) from Eisai, Karenitecin (BNP1350) from BioNumerik Pharmaceuticals, and Votrient (pazopanib) from GlaxoSmithKline.
The majority of molecules in the pipeline are microtubule stabilizers, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor (VEGFR) inhibitors, immunomodulators, folate receptor inhibitors, Poly ADP Ribose Polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, topoisomerase inhibitors, interleukins, Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors and Phosphatidylinositol-3-Kinase (PI3K) inhibitors. These categories together account for approximately 34% of the total ovarian cancer pipeline, while vaccines account for a further 10%. Other mechanisms – which fall under aurora-A kinase inhibitors, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF) receptors, interleukins, Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone (LHRH) receptors, and Platelet-Derived Growth-Factor Receptors (PDGF-R) – account for 55% of the current pipeline.
Significant Unmet Need Exists in the Ovarian Cancer Therapeutics Market in Terms of Efficacy and Safety
The ovarian cancer market has high unmet need in terms of both efficacy and safety, with a cure for the disease being the most important unmet need in the market. Ovarian cancer treatment currently consists mainly of surgery and chemotherapy – however, under these regimens many patients suffer a relapse, or develop recurrent tumors that are resistant or refractory to further therapy. The inability of current market offerings to alter the natural course of the disease and improve patients’ quality of life indicates that there is an unmet need for drugs with better efficacy profiles.
The percentage of ovarian cancer patients who suffer adverse effects from drug treatments is high, and these patients could benefit from newer, next-generation products. The main adverse effects of the currently marketed products are bone marrow suppression, an increased chance of infection and bleeding, anemia, leucopenia, neutropenia, pulmonary toxicity, and kidney and liver failure. Approximately 80% of the patients on current ovarian cancer medications suffer adverse effects that have the potential to severely restrict the lifestyle of some individuals. The low safety profiles of these drugs leave a great deal of scope for new technologies without these adverse effects to capture a significant share of the market.
In view of the facts mentioned above, new research predicts that a drug with superior efficacy and safety profiles could become a blockbuster product with the potential to capture a major share of the market.
The “Ovarian Cancer Therapeutics - Global Drug Forecasts and Treatment Analysis 2020” Report is an essential source of information and analysis on the global ovarian cancer therapeutics market. The report provides comprehensive information on ovarian cancer, highlighting the treatment guidelines. It identifies and analyses the key trends shaping and driving the global ovarian cancer therapeutics market. It analyses the treatment usage patterns in the global ovarian cancer therapeutics market. The report also provides insights into the competitive landscape and the emerging players expected to significantly alter the positions of the existing market leaders. The report provides valuable insights into the pipeline products within the global ovarian cancer sector. It quantifies the unmet need in the global ovarian cancer therapeutics market as well as in the individual markets such as the US and the top five countries in Europe, highlighting the opportunity for future players.
